What is Considered Art?
How we interpret the meaning of Pop Art compared to Abstract Expressionism
By: Sophia Cvetkovic
In the late 1950s, Andy Warhol burst into the New York art scene, capturing cultural icons alongside everyday life. His work radiated a vibrancy and playfulness that soon defined a new era of art: Pop Art.
The Pop Art Movement began in the United Kingdom during the 1950s, gaining momentum with Eduardo Paolozzi’s “I Was a Rich Man’s Plaything,” a collage of satirical magazine clippings and the word “Pop!” coming out of a gun. The movement quickly spread to the United States, where it was catapulted to global fame, most notably by Warhol.
American Pop Art was originally a revolution against Abstract Expressionism — a style of art during the 1940s and 1950s centered around introspection. Pop Art veered away from emotion, instead depicting celebrity/consumer culture and post-World War II society. Artists interwove pop culture with art, using bright colors, saturation and mass production techniques like silk screening.
Oftentimes, the word “art” evokes images of vast galleries and elite audiences. This type of art, focusing on intellectual depth and meaning, is referred to as “high-brow” art, encompassing styles from Surrealism to Modernism.
Abstract Expressionism is one form of high-brow art emerging from the post-World War II climate. Taking inspiration from Surrealism and Existentialism, it attempts to comprehend the darker nature of humanity and its existence beyond the physical realm. Jackson Pollock was a pioneer of Abstract Expressionism, developing drip painting, a technique in which paint is dripped, poured or flung from various tools to create movement.
Pollock’s work embodies this spontaneous, intense style of art without depicting any concrete figures. The viewer is meant to decipher the artwork’s meaning by interpreting the sharp lines and textures.
Although starkly different in style, both Pollock and Warhol are considered foundational American artists.
Why, then, are only Pollock’s Abstract Expressionist works regarded as high-brow? Does one style carry more significance than the other?
Art is inherently subjective — one person may find artistry in the arch of Marilyn Monroe’s eyebrow while another marvels at a single paint splatter. Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism differ in their connection with audiences. Abstract Expressionism, especially Pollock’s work, is derived from Jungian Psychoanalysis — the unconscious self that emerges in the conscious realm. This style is directed at the audience, evoking intense feelings and prompting self-reflection through art. In contrast, Pop Art details America’s multimedia lifestyle, connecting audiences with the people, processes and objects that define cultural meaning and relevance.
Pop Art is satirical: it holds a mirror up to society, highlighting obsessions with fame and material items. Although it is rooted in criticism, Pop Art still carries significant meaning. It moves away from Abstract Expressionism’s somber reflection, evoking excitement, nostalgia, cynicism and even fear. Subject matter in Pop Art doesn’t require immediate interpretation. What you see is what you get — Campbell’s soup is Campbell’s soup. Warhol and other Pop Artists take these staples of American culture and represent ordinary life in a creative, sophisticated medium of art.
Pop Art is the intersection of art and culture and, as a result, artists like Warhol become cultural figures themselves.
Warhol and Pop Art’s contribution to modern art cannot be understated. In his 1964 essay, “The Artworld,” art critic and philosopher Arthur Danto examines the impact of Warhol’s 1964 “Brillo Boxes” sculpture. Made of painted plywood and silk screen ink, the sculpture closely resembles Brillo Pad shipping boxes. According to Danto, “It is theory that takes it up into the world of art, and keeps it from collapsing into the real object which it is.” Warhol’s “Brillo Boxes” combine art and ordinary objects into one visual image. Through artistic representation, Warhol transforms ordinary objects into an art form.
Neither Pop Art or Abstract Expressionism is more artistic than the other. Both are fundamental pieces of the art world, depicting meaning in unique ways, whether through a burst of colors, textures and symbols, or through a focus on movement and rhythm.
There is art in not knowing exactly what a painting represents, in having to delve into critical interpretations. Similarly, there is an art in the instantly recognizable, with meanings hidden beneath extravagant surfaces. It may be time to dismantle the hierarchical manner of interpreting art and instead let artistry speak for itself.
Sophia Cvetkovic is a Print and Online Editorial Writer for Rowdy. She is an English and psychology major who loves all things nature, music and poetry — and is currently obsessed with Franz Kafka’s "The Metamorphosis."
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